As the month of May arrives, the Detroit Lions are headed into the heart of their offseason workout program. Rookies are set to report on Monday, May 11, though things are going to operate differently this year in Allen Park.
The Lions revealed during the 2026 NFL Draft that they have scrapped their traditional rookie minicamp, though Detroit general manager Brad Holmes says Lions rookies will still will take part in a full development program.
While the extent of the Lions’ rookie development program is a bit of an unknown, one thing is for certain: This is a massive season coming up for Detroit.
The Lions slipped back to 9-8 last year after consecutive NFC North titles and after they entered the 2024 postseason with the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
As CBS looks around the league after the 2026 NFL Draft, CBS shared its post-draft question facing the Lions: Has Detroit missed its Super Bowl window?
This is more of a big-picture topic than some of the nitty-gritty angles we’ll cover with other clubs, but it’s maybe the most noteworthy of the bunch. The Lions had been in the thick of the Super Bowl conversation for the last few years, but the furthest they’ve advanced was the NFC Championship in 2023. Last season, Detroit’s ascent hit a roadblock in the form of a 9-8 campaign that saw them finish last in the NFC North.
The division is increasingly more competitive with the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers rising, and if Kyler Murray hits with the Vikings, they’ll make the path tougher for the Lions as well. At DraftKings Sportsbook, Detroit is the betting favorite to win the NFC North in 2026, but it’s a pretty slim margin. They’re +180, with the Packers right behind them at +190. If they don’t bounce back in 2026, it’s fair to wonder if their best chances of reaching the Super Bowl with this core have come and gone. – Tyler Sullivan, CBS
The DraftKings odds would indicate that the Lions’ Super Bowl window hasn’t closed. And Detroit drafted in a way that indicated it was still in win-now mode.
Blake Miller might wind up as one of the top offensive tackles in this 2026 NFL Draft class, but he was also regarded as arguably the most plug-and-play. The Lions’ decision to draft Miller is one illustration that Campbell, Holmes and the Lions’ front office believes its Super Bowl window is still very much alive and well.
But, CBS’ post-draft question is one that some Lions fans are wondering as well.
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This article originally appeared on Lions Wire: CBS shares Detroit Lions’ most pressing post-NFL draft question
Reporting by Josh Helmer, Lions Wire / Lions Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
